Anisa and Damien decorated their Norfolk wedding venue with an abundance of glorious palm leaf decorations in delightful green and dusty pink shades.
They served up tasty mocktails and carefully chosen local food to create a food and drink menu that appealed to all of the guests.
The couple also held a lovely personalised ceremony, with four readings, all with a special meaning to them.
Photographer | Matt Parry

The proposal – Damien chose a very picturesque spot for his proposal, choosing Kaieteur Falls in Guyana, South America to pop the question. Despite Anisa and Damien being on the trip for both their anniversary and Valentine’s Day, Damien didn’t propose on either of these occasions. “I was completely taken unawares when he proposed, which I loved because I didn’t want to see it coming,” says Anisa. “He suddenly hugged me very tightly and asked me if I knew that he loved me and started to look super nervous and I still didn’t see it coming until he went down on one knee. My parents and my younger brother were there, and it was nice for them to also get to share in that special moment. Damien knows how important family is to me.”

The venue – Anisa and Damien enlisted the help of wedding planner Susie from Knot & Pop to help them plan their wedding, and it was Susie who suggested they check out Narborough Hall Gardens in Norfolk. “Even with our different styles, Damien and I both knew this was the venue for us,” says Anisa. “It had the perfect balance of wow factor whilst feeling intimate and homely. The house itself has such a warm, inviting feel with gorgeous bedrooms for close family and friends to stay, a lovely large kitchen with an AGA and separate dining rooms with a wood oven. The stunning gardens were in full bloom at the time and we loved the lake, the trees and the carpenter’s cottage on the grounds.”

The ceremony – Anisa and Damien had a civil ceremony outdoors by the lake, beneath an arch of coral peonies and palm leaves, which set the colour scheme for the day. “We had four readings which was unusual as readings are usually limited to two but they were really special to us so we managed to persuade the Norfolk registration office to allow it,” reveals Anisa. READ MORE: Readings and poems for civil ceremonies

The tropical wedding decor – Anisa and Damien decorated their day with lush greenery, tropical plants and gorgeous powder pink flowers. The marquee was resplendent in plants, creating a delightful rainforest feel.

Hanging wedding decorations – The couple had hanging floral decorations too, along with cascading, draped leaves, all adding to the breath-taking aesthetic.

The menu – “The food at the venue was amazing and it was actually super important for us to have some locality celebrated in our menu,” says Anisa. “We served fresh trout risotto – trout that were from the rivers on the grounds of Narborough Hall and Sandringham beef that was from Sandringham a nearby village in Norfolk. We then nodded to our taste of tropics theme with the pudding which was a baked pineapple Alaska.”

Non-alcoholic wedding drinks – “My family are teetotal so it’s always super important to have lovely mocktails on the menu,” says Anisa. “We served a “taste of the tropics” mocktail made with passion fruit syrup, ginger ale, apple juice & lime with fresh mint sprigs as well as the equivalent with rum.” READ MORE: How to Host an Amazing Alcohol Free Wedding

The wedding dress – “Despite being obsessed with long lace arms and column style dresses, as soon as I stepped into this dress at Browns Bride I knew it was the one.” “It was the perfect dreamy combination of traditional and modern. Plus it had just the right amount of drama with a beautiful train. I loved the elegant box pleats and the nipped in waist with the low back, elegant feminine buttons and wide ribbon bow. The epitome of femininity.” “The smattering of guipure lace along the lower middle of the dress and the neckline felt modern and gave enough of a nod to lace without it taking over – just the right balance. It felt very romantic, very Audrey Hepburn.” “I also loved my long veil, a metre longer than my train, which I decided would be 100% tulle, with no lace at all so as not to take away from the detail and drama of the dress. Damien also loved the fact it was nothing like he expected me to choose.” READ MORE: How to choose your wedding veil

The most memorable moment – “A real magical moment of our wedding was when our photographer, Matt Parry, lead us to the most enchanting spot; a clearing between these tall trees that seemed to stretch up forever,” says Anisa. “It didn’t seem real, it felt like we were on the set of a movie. The light was streaming down and it was quiet and Damien and I were just very present; soaking it all in whilst Matt took photos from afar.” READ MORE: 12 wedding pictures you should ask your photographer to take